Boston Lock Navigation Notices

[Naughty Cal]

A couple of notices for the Boston area today:

 

Notice Alert

River Witham
Starts At: Lock 4, Boston Lock
Ends At: Lock 4, Boston Lock

Friday 4 September 2015 until further notice

Type: Advice
Reason: Information

Original message:

To prevent damage to the lock or boats, sending craft through on level water will not be possible when the incoming tide exceeds 7.3m or an outgoing tide exceeds 7.7m.

Under these circumstances, any boats will need to be penned up or penned down.

This will slow down the movement of boats at such times.

You can view this notice and its map online here:
https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notice/4571/boston-lock-

You can find all notices at the url below:
https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices

and

Notice Alert

River Witham
Starts At: Lock 4, Boston Lock
Ends At: Lock 4, Boston Lock

Friday 4 September 2015 until further notice

Type: Advice
Reason: Information

Original message:

The Port of Boston Harbour Master has advised that the locations of known unexploded ordinance in the Wash are marked with marker buoys with a flash characteristic of long flash yellow every 15 seconds,( 4s on 11s off), visibility 2nm.

A chart of these locations is available from the Port of Boston.

You can view this notice and its map online here:
https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notice/4563/grand-sluice-lock-

You can find all notices at the url below:
https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices

[Scholar Gypsy]

Rather strange.

 

Does anyone know of any incidents where a boat going through on the level has actually been damaged, or the gates have been damaged (by being slammed shut, I assume)?

 

One of the lock keepers I spoke to earlier in the year did talk about the risk of a boat being trapped between closing gates - that would clearly be very dangerous for the boat, and not good for the sea defences either.

 

This notice does not make much sense for boats inbound on a rising tide, as you can shut the outward pointing gates and then wait for the tide to rise, at which point you can open the inward pointing (top) gates. See photo below. I didn't get my ruler out, but I am pretty confident there would be room for a 70 foot narrow boat, maybe at an angle and maybe overlapping the Cill marker a bit more than I was, which is unlikely to be a problem...

 

Edited September 4, 2015 by Scholar Gypsy

[Naughty Cal]

No idea what has brought this about.